Breast cancer remains the most common cancer in women worldwide, with approximately 1.68 million new cases, and 0.52 million deaths, annually. Meanwhile the incidence of breast cancer continues to increase. Early diagnosis and access to optimum treatment are crucial to reduce mortality associated with breast cancer. Currently, mammography and breast ultrasonography are essential for the detection and diagnosis of disease, and breast magnetic resonance imaging is the choice to estimate the extent of disease and guide appropriate treatment. However, there is no robust biomarkers for early detection of breast cancer.
Semaphorin4C (SEMA4C) has been previously identified as a highly expressed protein by breast cancer-associated lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) using in situ laser capture microdissection of lymphatic vessels, followed by cDNA microarray analysis. Moreover, membrane-bound SEMA4C is cleaved by matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs) to release a soluble form of this protein. Therefore, this prospective project aims to assess the early diagnostic value of SEMA4C as a biomarker for breast cancer.
